Feature

Effects of psoriatic arthritis not just physical


 

Most U.S. adults with psoriatic arthritis say that it has had a significant impact on their personal and professional lives, according to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of Pfizer.

Over 90% of respondents said that their psoriatic arthritis had negatively impacted their emotional and mental well-being and 75% reported negative effects on their relationships with friends and family, Pfizer reported. Among the 301 adults aged 18 years and older who responded to the survey, 58% had stopped participating in sports or recreational activities and 51% had stopped participating in social activities.

Survey: Working with psoriatic arthritis
These results show “that psoriatic arthritis is a disease whose impact should not be overlooked. People living with psoriatic arthritis are dealing with not only physical symptoms but the emotional impact of the disease as well,” Lara Fallon, global medical director–rheumatology at Pfizer, said in a written statement.

The effects on patients’ professional lives also were considerable: Almost 74% said that it had a negative effect on their career path, 41% had experienced decreased productivity, and 13% had quit or been let go from a job, Pfizer said.

Some of the survey results suggested a disconnect between patients and their physicians. Of the 89% of patients who were very or somewhat satisfied with their prescription medication, 90% said that they would like to make changes to their treatment regimen and 89% described their illness as moderate to severe, Pfizer reported.

The survey was conducted online from Nov. 2 to Dec. 1, 2017.

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